“My chance with Jeff? What do you mean?”
“Cut the crap, your Highness. We both know you brought him here because you’re in love with him. Nice fellow, too.”
In another century she could have had him beheaded for speaking to her in such a manner. At times, Isabella longed for the past ways.
“I do not see your point. What does my feelings for Jeff have to do with today?”
He picked the snuffbox up and Isabella had to squelch the urge to ask him to set it down. “If you don’t make your appearance at the taping of the show today, you’ll never know how he really feels, will you? You’ll basically be giving your blessing for him to woo another woman. Come to think of it, that’s what you’ve already done by bringing him here under false pretenses.”
“I-” She wanted to deny his words, but could not. She had arranged for Jeff’s inclusion. Just so she could see him once more.
And the truth was, she loved him. Had known she had when she had been at his mission site and had volunteered to stay longer. She had only left when news of her father’s illness had been delivered. Left without telling Jeff goodbye. How could she explain that her father was king and might be dying? That although she had fallen in love with him, she did not know if she would ever see him again?
But she had had to. Her heart had demanded to know if the emotions in her chest were real or the figments of her vivid imagination.
“I will be married before the end of summer. Jeff need never know I was here.”
JP shrugged. “That’s your choice, Princess. Your choice.”
She nodded. Her choice. If only.
“But it’s a shame as we both know he came here for you. Don’t you think he deserves to know the truth?”
The truth. Isabella closed her eyes. Tell Jeff that after a year apart she still loved him. But even if he loved her, they could not be together because although he was the prince of her heart, he was not royalty by blood.
“Just think about it. You’ve still got about an hour before the show starts. Why not let Jeff know you’re here? What’s the worst that can happen?”
Did he mean other than the possibility that she might selfishly denounce the throne by choosing to be with Jeff, if he would still have her? To let her honorable, but chauvinistic cousin to become king and stall women’s rights and equality?
Then the truth occurred to her.
The worst thing she could imagine would be Jeff seeing her and not caring one way or the other that she had stepped back into his life after a year’s absence.
Was that the real reason she had decided against her arranged role in the grand finale of Jane Millionaire?
What was the worst that could happen, indeed?
# # #
Breakfast was a tense affair.
All the bachelors were on edge. Jill wiped her sweaty palms with a perfectly pressed white cloth napkin. Heck, she was edgy, too.
A fire roared in the six-foot wide fireplace along one stone wall. The blaze had to be for ambience because the weather was gorgeous and this room felt hotter than Hades.
She shifted in her seat of honor at the twenty-foot, elaborately set dining table. China, silverware, crystal juice glasses, gorgeous fresh floral arrangements. She halfway expected Jeeves to come ask if she’d like some Grey Poupon with her Eggs Benedict. Would she miss being waited on hand and foot when she went back to California? Somehow she doubted that’s what she’d be missing.
Two bachelors sat to either side of her. Jeff on her immediate right and Steve to her left. All four stared at her as they picked at their breakfast.
She was certainly the center of attention this morning.
She averted her gaze to the intricate imperial pattern on the edge of the china and caught a faint whiff of the vivid blossom’s fragrance over the aroma of their food.
Their last meal together.
She hadn’t said much this morning and even Jeff had quit trying to elicit conversation after several failed attempts. She simply didn’t know what to say. Not to Jeff or Steve. Certainly not to the other two bachelors.
She didn’t want to spend a week on a tropical island on a pretend honeymoon.